He Is Trustworthy

The 1971 Alka-Seltzer commercial made famous these words "try it, you'll like it" when a waitress suggested a particular entree to a customer. He tried it and ended up with Alka-Seltzer for his dessert. I admit there are foods I've refuse to even taste; ultimately, I cannot say with confidence whether I like them or not. The psalmist writes of God, "The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice; all His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy)." (Psalm 111:7 AMP). The establishment, reliability and trustworthiness of God are not dependent upon me or you: "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all those who delight in them" (V.2). His very eternal (unchanging, unwavering) nature is sure and steadfast ... that is, whether we believe it or not! I can refuse to believe gravity is what it is and does what it does, but gravity itself remains unchanged by what I think; I can refuse to acknowledge gravey and it will not end well for me. The wisest way we can act toward God is to respectfully and reverently "try it, you'll like it" ... trust Him and He will prove Himself to be all that He is and do all that He says He will do. "Put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Malachi 3:10 ESV). What hinders you today from trusting God with all your fears of uncertainty? God can be trusted because ... He is trustworthy.

Bloom

We have an orchid, and it is thriving! I take absolutely no credit for how it has repeatedly bloomed - right now, it has three blooms! Mister Bill has potted and re-potted it, misted it regularly, maintained the right sunlight and room temperature; by its blooms, I conclude the orchid loves the attention! Ecclesiastes 3:13 (NASB) says, "I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor - it is the gift of God." We are created to be fruitful - joyfully engaged in imitating the goodness of The Father! The Book of Ecclesiastes begins by making us consider the vain things we too often pursue with no return on the energy, time and resources invested. I heard an old preacher call it "plowing water" ... senseless. In the beginning God created all things with the capacity to multiply themselves, to bear fruit ... trees, shrubs, birds, beasts, humans ... not to live independently of Him but to the praise of His glory. Ecclesiastes ends this way: "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." (13:13 NASB). I've heard it said we are to "bloom where we're planted" - I like that because it speaks of a fruitful life in all circumstances of life; a life that is revealing the God-given nature within those who love The Lord. Here's some good counsel ... bloom.

Blog Break

 MWB will resume Thursday 03-12-2026
Stay in The Word!
Miles of Smiles, Beverly  

Garden of the Heart

Some people love to dig in the dirt; they are also the ones who enjoy beautiful flowers as a result. I'm very thankful for those who commit to the digging and everything else needs to produce the beautiful blooms. I, however, do not care to the dirt and sweat required. Paul writes, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (1 Corinthians 13:5 ESV). The process of examination and testing can be terribly messy and uncomfortable. Past generations modeled for us "spring cleaning" - a time of deeper cleaning than usual: furniture is moved, area rugs are taken outside, curtains are laundered, etc. The tedious and hard work is meant to produce a fine cleaning where we live the rest of the year. "Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" The Holy One of Heaven - perfect and righteous and just in all His ways - makes His home in the hearts of His children. How shameful when we present to Him a place filled with unconfessed sin and sinful habits. First Thessalonians 5:21 instructs followers of Jesus Christ to "hold fast what is good" so the God of peace Himself sanctify our whole spirit and soul and body and keep us blameless until Christ returns. A spiritually clean and blameless heart demands a daily cleaning - once a year doesn't do it. Like a well-tended and flourishing flower bed, the beauty of Christ is put on display in the ... garden of the heart.

How Lovely!

Being with a particular someone is a treasured part of life; actually, just being near that particular someone can be precious! The writer of Psalm 84 writes, "How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD" (Psalm 84:1-2a, NASB). Geographic locations can distance family and friends; God and man are distanced, however, by different means. The Jewish people eagerly made pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year where the temple was located - the place that represented God's Presence, His dwelling place. How marvelous we no longer need seek God's Presence in a particular place; we draw near His Presence by means of the redemptive and finished work of Jesus Christ, God's Son! "How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!" (V.5, NASB). An undivided heart, one that adores and sings of its Redeemer and He Who dwells therein. Oh, yes, Lord ... how lovely is Your dwelling place!